(1) Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a fixing device using electro-magnetic induction heating, to a image forming device equipped with the fixing device, and to an induction heating device.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Recently, image forming devices such as printers have frequently used an induction heating fixing device in order to lower energy consumption relative to halogen heating fixing devices.
In such an induction heating fixing device, electric power supplied to the excitation coil produces magnetic flux that heats a heating body such as a heating layer of a fixing roller.
The excitation coil is also heated through Joule heating in the coils itself, caused by the supply of electricity. However, this is a waste of energy in that there is no simple way to dispose of this heat.
In order to prevent this heat energy loss, the excess heat is conventionally used by a thermo-electric conversion element converting the thermal energy into electrical energy.
When attempting to reach a configuration in which heat produced by the excitation coil is converted into electrical energy by thermo-electric conversion elements, disposing the thermo-electric conversion elements as close to the excitation coil as possible is beneficial from a thermo-electric conversion efficacy perspective.
However, when the thermo-electric conversion elements are close to the excitation coil, such as when a heat-absorbing face of the thermo-electric conversion element is in direct contact with the wiring of the excitation coils, the effect of flux poses problems such as causing malfunctions or decreasing the thermo-electric conversion efficacy by heating of the entire thermo-electric conversion element.
These problems are not limited to fixing devices used in image forming devices, but also occur in other induction heating devices, such as induction heating cooking devices.